Program Selection Committee
The Program Selection Committee is responsible for soliciting, developing, reviewing, and evaluating programs (workshops, sessions, informal discussion groups, posters) to be presented at the annual conference. The committee is also a resource for those who wish to submit a session proposal.
Meet the 2013 Committee
Beverly Duzik, Chair, Program Selection Committee
Director of Development, Desert Botanical Garden
Beverly Duzik has 33 years of experience in non-profit management in Arizona. Since joining the Garden in September 2000, she has led the development team in planning and developing dramatic growth in membership, legacy gift commitments, and contributed income. Most recently Bev planned and implemented the successful Tending the Garden campaign, which exceeded a $16.7M goal with $17.8M in commitments. In 2009 she received the Outstanding Professional Fundraiser Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Arizona Chapter.
To reach Beverly, please call 480.481.8111 or email Bduzik@dbg.org
Marnie Conley, Marketing and Public Relations Track Chair
Marketing Department Head, Longwood Gardens
Marnie Conley is the Marketing Department Head at Longwood Gardens, where she is responsible for holistic marketing operations including brand management, strategic communications, and supporting revenue generation. Prior to joining Longwood Gardens, Conley spent 13 years in the arts, culture, and university sectors. She most recently served as adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Arts Management Program. Her cultural career started with Phipps Conservatory where she served as Director of Marketing and later as Director of Marketing for Carnegie Museum of Art.
To reach Marnie, please call 610.388.5439 or email mconley@longwoodgardens.org
Cynthia Druckenbrod, Horticulture Track Chair
Director of Horticulture, Cleveland Botanical Garden
Cynthia Druckenbrod started her career as the Glasshouse Manager at Cleveland Botanical Garden in 2000. In 2007, she was promoted to Director of Horticulture and is responsible for overseeing 10 acres of outdoor gardens and the plant and animal collections in The Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse. She leads a staff of 9 horticulturists and animal care specialists and directs budgets exceeding $600,000 annually. Druckenbrod has a BA in Biology from Case Western Reserve University and a Master of Science degree in Entomology from Auburn University.
To reach Cynthia, please call 216.707.2824or email cdruckenbrod@cbgarden.org
Liz Fetchin, Marketing and Public Relations Track Chair
Liz Fetchin is director of marketing and communications at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where she has garnered coverage in National Geographic Traveler, Forbes Magazine and USA Today; debuted one of Earth’s greenest buildings with a national press tour; produced a book about the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit; and led marketing efforts to launch a citywide health initiative for children. A former associate editor for Pittsburgh Magazine, Liz holds a B.S. in journalism from Ohio University.
To reach Liz, please call 412.441.4442 ext 3801 or email lfetchin@phipps.conservatory.
With ten years of experience in the green industry spanning many different job descriptions, Megan Fleischer found her niche in 2009 as the Display Gardens Manager at the Dawes Arboretum. Along with overseeing thirteen acres of perennial gardens, Megan also teaches various gardening topics to the public and loves to design gardens on the side. Prior to her work at Dawes, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from The Ohio State University. Go Buckeyes!
To reach Megan, please call 740.323.2355 or email mlfleischer@dawesarb.org
VP of Marketing and Public Engagement, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
As VP of Marketing and Public Engagement at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Kathryn promotes the Garden’s horticultural displays, exhibits and events, educational programs and research initiatives with an arsenal of tools including advertising, communications, interpretation, digital and print media, public programs, visitor services and retail. Before joining BBG, Kathryn was the VP at Acoustiguide Inc, a leading provider of mobile interpretation for cultural institutions. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with B.A. in History and History of Art.
To reach Kathryn, please call708.623.7283 or email kathrynglass@bbg.org
Marketing and Communications Manager, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Rio Grande Botanic Garden Director, ABQ BioPark
To reach Catherine, please call 505.848.7181 or email Catherine.hubbard@cabq.gov
Director of Education, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Randee joined Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in 2004. Today she oversees all functions of the 13-member Education department, including public, school, and special audience programs, educational exhibits and interpretation, management of library and herbarium collections, and community initiatives and partnerships. She has been fortunate to spend her entire career in museum and arts administration, including the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Children’s Museum of Richmond. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Flora of Virginia Project, which will publish in December the first definitive guide since 1762 to Virginia’s native and naturalized plants.
To reach Randee, please call 804.262.9887 ext 326 or email randeeh@lewisginter.org
Program Director, Conservation of Threatened Species and Habitats, Desert Botanical Garden
Kim joined the staff of the Desert Botanical Garden in 2009after working for eight years as Conservation Biologist for the Missouri Botanical Garden and three years as Instructor and Faculty Chair in the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt. With a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Kim loves working in the botanical garden world where she can utilize both her science expertise and education experience to further the cause of plant conservation.
To reach Kimberlie, please call 480.481.8137 or email kmccue@dbg.org
Executive Director, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Kara has served as Director for Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, a developing public garden, since June 2006. Recently the Garden opened a conservatory and has announced plans for a Children’s Garden. Before this role, Kara’s career was focused in development at organizations such as Winterthur, Philadelphia Zoo, and Outward Bound. Kara has a BS in botany, a degree from the Longwood Program and was named one of Charlotte Business Journal’s top 40 Under 40 professionals.
To reach Kara, please call 704.829.1250 or email Newport@dsbg.org
Martin F. Quigley, Education Track Chair
Martin F. Quigley is Kurtz Chair in Botany, Professor of Landscape Ecology and Arboretum Director at The University of Denver. He is also a landscape architect and horticulturist. Quigley’s teaching has included Restoration Ecology, Landscape and Garden Design, Plant Materials, Terrestrial Ecology, Environmental Biology, Ecological Field Methods, Plant Taxonomy, and Ethnobotany. He has worked on historic landscape renovations, rails-to-trails conversions, vegetation surveys and other environmental analyses, and botanic garden enhancements. His current research focus is stewardship and restoration of impaired urban and natural landscapes, promotion of native species, vegetated swales for filtration of urban runoff, and suppression of woody exotic invasives.
To reach Martin, please call 303.871.3973 or email martin.quigley@du.edu
Executive Director, Bloedel Reserve
Ed oversees the internationally acclaimed 150 acre public garden and forest sanctuary off the coast of Seattle, joining as Associate Director in 2009 and becoming Executive Director in 2010. Previously, Ed was the creator and founding Associate Director of the Center for Public Horticulture at the University of Delaware. Ed received two degrees in Public Horticulture, including an M.S. from the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware, and a B.S. from Oklahoma State.
To reach Ed, please call 206.842.7631 or email emoydell@bloedelreserve.org
Tracy Omar is the Supervisor of Science and Gardens at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas. Since graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Plant Science, he has worked in public gardens for more than 25 years. This work experience has included gardens from Washington to Arizona and the British Virgin Islands to Massachusetts. Long an active participant in NAPCC, he is currently the Regional Organizer for the Interior West.
To reach Tracy, please call 702.822.7731 or email tracy.omar@springspreserve.org
Director of Development, Bok Tower Gardens
Joan Thomas joined Bok Tower Gardens in 2009 having moved from Charlotte where she served as Director of Development at the Charlotte Symphony and later as administrator of an $80M campaign for Wingate University. A fundraiser for 22 years, she has held the Certified Fund Raising Executive accreditation since 2002. She serves her second-year term on the Selection Committee while preparing to go public with Bok Tower Garden’s largest capital campaign in its history.
To reach Joan, please call 863.734.1213 or email jthomas@boktower.org
Megan Fleischer, Horticulture Track Chair
Kathryn Glass, Visitor Experience Track Chair
Judy Hohmann, Visitor Experience Track Chair
To reach Judy, please call 952-443-1445 or email her at jhohmann@umn.edu
Catherine Hubbard, Leadership Track Chair
In addition to the Botanic Garden, the ABQ BioPark consists of the Rio
Grande Zoo, Albuquerque Aquarium, and Tingley Beach. Catherine has been
in her current position since 2002 and also manages horticulture for the
Zoo and Tingley Beach park, as well as the BioPark Education department.
Catherine received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science/Ecology and
a secondary science teaching degree from Texas A&M, and a Masters from
University of New Mexico. She has been a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1981, and a member of the Association of Zoological Horticulture (AZH) since 2001.
Randee Humphrey, Education Track Chair
Kimberlie McCue, Ph.D.. Conservation Track Chair
Kara Newport, Development Track Chair
Edward Moydell, Leadership Track Chair
Tracy Omar, Conservation Track Chair
Joan Thomas, CFRE, Development Track Chair
